ing?"

"I don't know."

"I was--and I wasn't. I couldn't make out what to do, that was it, so I
stayed in bed. Was Silk there?"

"Yes."

"Did he say anything?"

"No; the doctor told him to come again at four."

Gilks took one or two uncomfortable turns up and down the room, and then
said, "I may as well tell you, it's no use keeping it back any longer,
for it's sure to come out. I was the fellow who cut the rudder-line.
Did you know that?"

"I had heard it."

"Who told you--Silk?"

"Yes."

"I thought so. I knew he would. And he'll tell Paddy this afternoon.
I don't care if he does."

"I scarcely believed it when he said so," said Riddell.

"Eh? I suppose you thought it was rather too low even for me. So it
would have been once," he said, bitterly.

"But you backed the Parrett's boat all along," said Riddell. "Oh, that.
If that's all that puzzled you it's easily explained. Perhaps if you
were doing a thing like that in the dark, expecting to be caught out
every moment, you might make a mistake too."

"Then you meant to cut _our_ lines?" asked the captain, seeing the whole
mystery explained at last.

"Of course I did; and so I should have done if the rudders hadn't been
shifted, and Parrett's put into the schoolhouse boat." He took a few
more turns, and then continued, "You may fancy what a pleasant state of
mind I've been in since. I daresay you'll be glad to hear I've been
miserable day and night."

"I'm very sorry for you," said Riddell, so sympathetically that the
unhappy boy started.

"You wouldn't be if you knew it was all to spite you. I was as bad as
Silk in that, though it was his idea about cutting the lines. The
accident turned out well for us in one way--nobody suspected either of
us. But Silk has led me the life of a dog ever since. I've not known
what minute it might all come out. He was always holding it over my
head, and I had to do anything he told me. I can tell you I've thought
of bolting more than once, or telling Paddy."

"It must have been a dreadful time for you," said Riddell. "So it was.
But I'm glad it's all over now. I shall be glad to be expelled. I've
been ashamed to look any one in the face for weeks. I used to be happy
enough before I knew Silk, but I don't expect ever to be happy again
now."

There was a tremble in his voice as he said this, which went to the
captain's heart.

"I hope it's not so bad as that," said he, quietly. "Everybody h